Kristoffer Velde had two goals and an assist as the Portland Timbers earned a vital 3-2 road win over St. Louis City on Wednesday.
All three Portland goals came between the 42nd and 48th minutes, all resulting from an attack down the left side. David Da Costa tallied a goal and an assist and James Pantemis made four saves for the Timbers (11-14-7, 40 points), who drew within one point of the Los Angeles Galaxy for the ninth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Daniel Edelman and Rafael Navarro provided the goals for St. Louis City (14-9-9, 51 points), who have lost three straight league games following a 13-0-6 run.
Navarro was credited with getting a piece of Sang-Bin Jeong’s rocket into the net to make it 3-2 in the first minute of second-half stoppage time. Timbers defender Kamal Miller received his second yellow card and was sent off to make it even more interesting, but soon after one shot was directed into the waiting arms of Pantemis, the final whistle blew and Portland escaped.
Velde had not had a goal contribution since Sept. 9, when coincidentally he also scored twice against St. Louis City. He now has a team-high 10 goals this season. A would-be third goal was taken off the board Wednesday when a teammate was called for a foul during Velde’s free-kick goal in the second half.
Portland defender Jimer Fory, who had an assist, subbed off in the second half with an unspecified injury. He previously knocked heads with Damion Downs midair during the first half, was evaluated and stayed in the game.
Cole Bassett earned the assist on the first goal by passing ahead to Velde, who did the rest. Velde entered the left side of the box, then steered to the inside to find a window for his shot.
Not a minute after play restarted, a St. Louis stumble led to an immediate Portland attack, but Ariel Lassiter’s tap-in goal was waved off as he was whistled offside.
It wouldn’t matter moments later. Da Costa took Velde’s pass down the left sideline and juked a defender on his way into the box for a close-range goal.
Pantemis also parried away a high-danger chance by Tomas Totland before that sequence, and the Timbers went into halftime up two.
Da Costa initiated the third scoring sequence with his attack from the left wing. Ben Lundt (three saves) stopped his shot but Da Costa kept the ball alive and cycled the play back to Velde, who uncorked an unstoppable shot that went in off the far post in the 48th minute.
Edelman got one back for St. Louis on his textbook header in the 58th.
–Field Level Media
